Block with spacing legs and facing section



Dec. 13, 1966 L. E. WRIGHT BLOCK WITH SPACING LEGS AND FACING SECTIONFiled Sept. 2, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Dec. 13, 1966 1,. E.WRIGHT 3,290,849

BLOCK WITH SPACING LEGS AND FACING SECTION Filed se tA 2, 1964 v 2Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR Lvue EWRacm-rm iswwwm ATTORNEY United StatesPatent BLOCK WITH SPACING LEGS AND FACING SECTION Lyle E. Wright,Lanham, Md., assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, to UniversalBuilding Products Corporation, a corporation of Maryland Filed Sept. 2,1964, Ser. No. 393,893

1 Claim. (Cl. 52-541) This invention relates to a block unit or moduleprimarily intended for use in masonry construction such as walls, andthe like. The invention provides for a wall assembly of interlockedconstruction, wherein main block portions are connected by suitablemortar joints, and outer facing block portions, individually secured tothe main block portions, are connected in edge-to-edge relation.

An objective of this invention is to provide a block unit in an assemblyas aforesaid wherein the facing block portion may be optionally formedof a material different from that of the main block, or coated with suchdifferent material. Thus, the main block may be formed of an inexpensivematerial and the outer block of a more costly, finish grade material. Arelated feature of importance resides in the provision of main blocksadapted for joining in a construction by mortar placed therebetween, andoffset facing blocks meeting in substantially edge-to-edge contact atlocations spaced from the mortar joints.

Another objective of this invention is to provide a block of thecharacter indicated which is of a configuration adapting it forproduction with minimum modification of existing block fabricationmachinery.

A still further object'is to provide a main block having a fiat upperand lower surface and having plural legs depending from the lowersurface. The legs are of substantially the same depth as the spaceprovided for mortar, and hence, one block may be supported on the flatupper surface of a subjacent block either before or after theapplication of mortar.

Yet another objective is to provide blocks with means associatedtherewith for exterior shielding of all mortar joints in a wallconstruction, to enhance the appearance of the construction, or toprevent the entrance of moisture between the joints.

Another object of importance is to provide a block Wall construction ofincreased strength.

Other and further objects and advantages of this invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of thefollowing specification when read in conjunction with the annexeddrawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a portion of wall construction inaccordance with this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of another form of wall constructionhereof, showing one corner assembly;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary rear elevational view of a portionof the wall of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the section 4-4 ofFIGURE 3, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged, perspective view of an individual block ormodule hereof; and

FIGURE 6 is another perspective of the block of FIGURE 5.

With more specific reference to the drawings, in FIG- URES 5 and 6 atypical block or module 10 of this invention is shown. The blocks 10comprise a main block body portion 12 and an outer facing block 14.

The main block body portion 12 is preferably formed of a low costaggregate material and may have the usual cores 16 formed therein. Thebody portion 12 is generally rectangular in configuration and includes asubstantially flat, uniplanar upper face 18, a lower face 20, andopposite, substantially fiat side faces 22, 24. The body portion 12further includes forward and rear sides 26, 28, respectively.

Each of the side faces 22 and 24 of the main body portion have an upperend edge 30 and a lower end edge 32, and the upper face 18 and forwardside 26 meet at a forward upper edge 34. The side 26 and block lowerface 20 meet at a forward lower edge 36the edges being herein definedfor reference below.

Elongated, substantially rectangular legs 37 and 38 depend from the mainblock body portion 12, each extending substantially the full width ofthe body portion between its front and rear faces and having slopingside Walls 40 tapering to a base 42. The leg 38 depends from the lowerface 20 closely adjacent the side face 24, while the leg 37 depends fromthe face 20 at a location spaced inwardly from the side face 22.

Connected either integrally or otherwise to the main block body portion12 is an outer facing block 14, which may be of the same or a differentmaterial and which includes a generally solid body 44 with an outer sidesurface 46 and inner surface 47. The surface 46 may be coated with adecorative material, or the entire facing block 14 may be formed of adecorative type of aggregate. The facing block 14 is offset with respectto the main block body portion, and includes a top side 48 arrangedsubstantially parallel to and spaced inwardly of the forward upper edge34 of the main block body portion, and a bottom side 50 substantiallyparallel to and spaced outwardly of the forward lower edge 36 thereof.First and second ends 52, 54 of the facing block '14 are substantiallyparallel to and spaced, respectively, inwardly and outwardly of therespective side faces 22 and 24 of the body portion 12, and as best seenin FIGURE 3, the facing block end 52 is generally aligned with theoutward extent of the leg 37, and the facing block is of slightlygreater dimension in length and height than the main block body portionto permit the application of mortar between the block body portionswhile maintaining the facing blocks in edge-to-edge contact in a wallconstruction.

As is readily observable in the drawing and particularly in FIGURES 3and 6, the location of the legs 37 and 38 is such as to balance theblock correctly regardless of its subjacent support means. The center ofgravity of the block 10 is, by reason of the offsetting and dimension ofthe facing block 14, spaced from the center of the main body portion 12.By positioning the leg 38 at the extremity of the body portion 12carrying the extended portion of the facing block, and by locating ofthe leg 37 at an inwardly spaced position aligned with the edge 52 ofthe facing block, the legs are spaced substantially coequally onopposite sides of the center of gravityof the block 10 to maintainbalance and insure correct block alignment in installation of theblocks.

In an installation of a wall construction W of the type shown in FIGURES2, 3 and 4, the blocks 10 are arranged in courses with a base course Band superimposed upper courses U. After installation of the course B ona suitable footing, the next course of blocks 10 is installed withmortar joints 60 between the main block body portion 12. Mortar is notrequired between the outer facing blocks, the ends and sides of whichare adapted to contact one another. If desired, mortar or other non bulkconnecting material may be placed between the facing blocks. The legs 37and 38 are adapted to rest on the flat upper faces 18 of subjacentblocks, and the inner surfaces 47 of the facing blocks contact the frontsides 26 of the block body portions. Thus, an interlocked engagement ofthe blocks is provided.

It will be further observed (FIGURE 4) that the seams formed by abutmentof the outer facing blocks are offset from the mortar joints between themain block body portions, thereby increasing the strength of thestructure and increasing the resistance of the structure to moistureentrance which often occurs at mortar joints.

A special corner block a is shown in FIGURE 2, the corner blockincluding dual, right angularly related outer facing blocks 14a and agenerally square main block body portion 12a.

In FIGURE 1, an alternative wall construction is shown wherein theblocks are arranged in vertically staggered rows further increasing thestrength of the structure.

It will be noted that the flat upper faces 18 of the blocks provide forthe fabrication thereof with at least one flat side, thereby adaptingthe same for manufacture in most conventional block machinery.

Having described and illustrated the invention in some detail, it willbe understood that the description and illustration have been offeredmerely by way of example, and that the invention is to be limited inscope only by the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A building block for use in a wall construction including a plurality ofblocks arranged in courses with a base course and upper courses, andwith vertical and horizontal mortar strips connecting the block units toone another, each building block comprising:

a block main body portion of aggregate material having a substantiallyflat, uniplanar upper face, a lower face, and opposite, substantiallyfiat side faces;

the block main body portion having forward and rear sides;

the side faces each having an upper end edge and a lower end edge;

the upper face and the forward side meeting at a forward upper edge andthe lower face and forward side meeting at a forward lower edge;

the block main body portion having an individual center of gravitysubstantially equidistant its side faces;

elongated, substantially rectangular legs depending from the block lowerface, one such leg being closely adjacent the lower end edge of one ofthe side faces, and the other being spaced inwardly from the lower endedge of the other side face;

the legs being tapered and extending substantially the full width of theblock main body portion and being 4- adapted to rest on the upper faceof an adjacent block;

an outer facing block of a length and height greater than that of theblock main body portion, including an outer side surface, secured to theforward side of the block main body portion;

the facing block having a top side arranged substantially .parallel toand spaced inwardly of the forward upper edge of the block main bodyportion, and a bottom side arranged substantially parallel to and spacedoutwardly of the forward lower edge thereof a distance equal to said topside spacing plus the outward extent of said depending legs;

' the facing block having first and second ends arranged substantiallyparallel to the block side faces and being spaced respectively inwardlyof said other side face and outwardly of said one side face, the spacingof said second end being .greater than the spacing of said first end;

whereby the facing block is horizontally and vertically offset from theblock main body portion, and the building block has a center of gravityditferent from said center of gravity of the block main body portion;

the legs being located such that they are substantially equidistantlyspaced on opposite sides of the building block center of gravity;

an outer surface of said other leg being substantially aligned with saidfirst end of the facing block whereby the block is adapted to besuitably balanced on a subjacent block; and

whereby the facing blocks in the wall construction are adapted to bejoined at their ends and sides at locations offset from the vertical andhorizontal mortar strips connecting adjacent block main body portions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,435,865 11/1922McDaniel 52-592 1,544,478 6/1925 Payne 52-592 X 1,719,749 7/1929 Berman52440 1,859,236 5/1932 Covell 52--425 3,149,437 9/1964 Wheeler-Nicholson52--259 X FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

A. C. PERHAM, Assistant Examiner.

